Cristiano Ronaldo: I never want to leave Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he would stay at Real Madrid for another 10 years if the opportunity arose.

The Portugal international scored an incredible 53 goals for Madrid in all competitions last season but Jose Mourinho's men only ended up with the Copa del Rey crown.

As good as Madrid were, they still found themselves playing second fiddle to Barcelona, who won both the Primera Division and Champions League - in which they beat Madrid in the semi-finals.

Ronaldo has recently been linked with a move to Manchester City, a club backed by wealthy Middle Eastern owners, but the former Manchester United man insists he has no immediate plans to return to the Premier League.

"I can't see myself leaving Madrid," he told the Cadena COPE radio station. "I'm very happy here, it has been phenomenal."

Ronaldo, who was reported to have been offered £400,000 a week to join City, says money is not a deciding factor in his future.

Ever since the inception of the Bosman ruling in 1995, clubs can no longer afford to focus only on the short term, and thus often open contract negotiations with their players long before their deals are set to expire. If the player in question refuses to sign an extension, teams must make a decision as to whether they want to cash in, or hold on to the individual for another year before watching them depart on a free transfer.

One of the most intriguing transfer sagas of the moment is the potential move of Arsenal's Samir Nasri to domestic rivals Manchester United. The France international has yet to extend his contract beyond the summer of 2012, and United are closely monitoring his situation.

Nasri is not the only player who will soon have an important decision to make, however. Clubs still have two-and-a-half months left to assemble their squads, but most want to wrap up their transfer dealings for the new campaign as soon as possible.